Nigo: From Japan with Love

By Esme Hawes

The life and cultural impact of musician and streetwear pioneer NIGO, founder of A Bathing Ape, as told through clothes and ephemera from his personal archive

Working across street style, fashion, music and beyond, NIGO is a multifaceted artist, designer and creative director who has been shaping contemporary culture for over three decades, ever since he founded the influential streetwear label A Bathing Ape. His ability to draw from wide-ranging disciplines and cultural references has produced some of the most influential products in recent fashion history, such as the Bapesta sneaker. While partially inspired by vintage Americana, his clothing and shoe designs remain deeply rooted in Japanese subcultures.
Charting NIGO's inspirations, output and legacy from the 1980s to the present day, From Japan with Love takes a chrono-thematic approach. NIGO's life story is told primarily through objects from his personal archive and collections--many published here for the first time. These include collectible merchandise, garments, music and film ephemera and printed matter, complemented by his own voice and those of his peers. The book also explores NIGO's more recent discovery of pottery making, studying with ceramic artists and learning the rituals of the Japanese tea ceremony.
Tomoaki Nagao, known as NIGO (born 1970) founded streetwear brand A Bathing Ape in 1993 and served as its chief designer for 20 years. He is a member of Teriyaki Boyz and Honest Boyz, and has collaborated with artists such as Pharrell, ASAP Rocky and Flavor Flav. In 2021 he became Artistic Director at luxury fashion house KENZO.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1872005918
• ISBN13: 9781872005911
• Release Date: June 2026
• Publisher: Design Museum
• Length: 208 Pages